FINAL DAY OF FIH PRO LEAGUE MOVES TO THE TWICKENHAM STOOP

9th October 20180 comment

Great Britain Hockey, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) and Harlequins Rugby Club are delighted to announce that we have agreed terms to move the final day of our FIH Pro League season to the near 15,000-capacity Twickenham Stoop, home of Harlequins.

Following unprecedented demand in the FIH Pro League ticket ballot, Great Britain Hockey opened a dialogue with Harlequins and the FIH to host the final day on Sunday 23 June 2019 at Quins’ stadium, using ground-breaking technology that will see an artificial pitch laid on top of the existing grass surface.

Moving venue means that twice as many supporters will now be able to see our national teams in action on this day, when Great Britain’s men’s and women’s teams take on New Zealand back-to-back at the conclusion of the first ever FIH Pro League campaign. This brand new competition sees the world’s best teams do battle home and away across the globe from January until June, with Great Britain games live on BT Sport.

This announcement marks another hugely positive step forward for international hockey in this country. This past summer, more than 110,000 tickets were sold for the Vitality Hockey Women’s World Cup in London, making it the biggest standalone women’s sporting event of the year. With BT Sport long-term partners of the sport, youth participation up 80% since London 2012, and the GB women’s team the current Olympic champions, hockey continues to go from strength to strength. A full attendance of 14,800 at the Twickenham Stoop would be the biggest crowd to watch hockey in this country since the London 2012 Olympics.

All of Great Britain’s other FIH Pro League home games will take place at Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre, hockey’s major events venue on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park that will have a capacity of up to 7,500 during the tournament. The venue has been central to the growth in spectators and has played host to world class hockey events every year since 2015, most recently the record-breaking Vitality Hockey Women’s World Cup.

Twelve of Great Britain’s sixteen fixtures in the FIH Pro League were oversubscribed in the ticket ballot, with more than 105,000 tickets applied for. Those who applied in the ballot will be contacted on Tuesday October 9 with details of the fixtures for which they were successful. Any supporters who did not apply in the ballot can currently buy a season ticket, starting from £75 for Under 18s and £225 for adults for 12 games.

Great Britain Hockey’s Sally Munday said, “We are hugely excited about the prospect of taking both of our national teams to the Twickenham Stoop. The growing demand for tickets shows that the appetite is there for a venue of this size. We would like to place on record our thanks to both Harlequins and the FIH for their help in making this happen, as well as Sport England for supporting the innovative pitch development process.

“In addition, Lee Valley Regional Park Authority and BT Sport were also hugely supportive of the move, and we look forward to playing the remainder of our games at Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre. The FIH Pro League is a huge step forward for the sport, and we are immensely grateful to our partners for their support.”

David Ellis, Harlequins’ Chief Executive, said: “We are delighted to be supporting Great Britain Hockey to bring their sport to a wider audience here in South West London. Our Club has a history of innovation and adventure and we take great pride in being able to offer our neighbours and supporters the chance to see something different at The Stoop. Hockey supporters from all over the country are welcome at our home and can look forward to enjoying a day to remember here in June.”

Thierry Weil, FIH CEO commented, “Great Britain Hockey’s plans to host matches at Twickenham Stoop demonstrates the innovative and ambitious thinking our National Associations are investing in the new FIH Pro League. Having witnessed the electric atmosphere created during the Vitality Hockey Women’s World Cup in London earlier this year, we can’t wait to experience nearly 15,000 fans cheering on their teams in what will be one of the biggest FIH Pro League venues in 2019.”

Jamie Hindhaugh, COO of BT Sport said, “We are big hockey fans at BT Sport and it’s fantastic to see the game continue to go from strength to strength. We’re delighted that The Stoop will host a double header on FIH Pro League Final day, it’s a venue that we know well which will help create a fantastic atmosphere and great TV.”

To confirm, ticket prices will remain unchanged as the fixture moves to the Twickenham Stoop. If any tickets are available for general sale following the ballot process, they will be go on sale from Friday 16 November, starting at £34 adults and £11 Under 18s. Sign up to our Ticket Newsletter to receive the very latest information. To discuss Premium Experiences, email premiumexperiences@greatbritainhockey.co.uk.

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